DOCSLIB.ORG

The World´S Largest Off-Shore Windfarm, Middelgrunden 40 Mw

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The World´S Largest Off-Shore Windfarm, Middelgrunden 40 Mw WORLD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DAY 2001 WELS, AUSTRIA THE WORLD´S LARGEST OFF-SHORE WINDFARM, MIDDELGRUNDEN 40 MW Jens H. Larsen Copenhagen Environment and Energy Office (CEEO) ABSTRACT The Middelgrunden project is an offshore wind farm with a rated power capacity of 40 MW. The project consisting of 20 wind turbines at each 2 MW, is situated just 2 km outside the Copenhagen harbor on shallow water (3-5 meters deep). The wind farm is owned fifty/fifty by a wind energy cooperative and the Copenhagen Utility. This article summarizes the experiences from the planning of the project, and draws the perspectives for the future development of offshore wind power in Europe. Key words: windturbine cooperative, economic, offshore, foundation, environment, public awareness, renewable. The author is one of the promoter of the project and has been responsible for the preinvestigations and is now the projectleader for the windturbine cooperative. INTRODUCTION Today more than 100,000 Danish families are members of wind energy cooperatives and such owners have installed 86% of all Danish wind turbines. Until recently, the cooperatives were a very important and dominant factor in the development of the Danish wind energy sector (see figure 1). Since then, single person ownership has by far superseded the importance of the cooperatives. In the coming years the utilities are expected to play an increasing role in the establishment of large-scale offshore wind farms. The program of the Danish utilities alone has a total power of 750 MW within the next 8 years (The Offshore Wind-farm Working Group, 1997; Svenson et. al., 1999). Figure 1 Development in ownership of wind farms in Denmark MW installed power each year. (Nielsen, 1999). The Middelgrunden project has obtained planning permissions in May 1999 and formal political approval from the Danish Energy Agency in December 1999. Contracts with the turbine manufacturer and the foundations and grid contractors have been signed in December 1999. An ongoing restructuring and liberalization of the Danish energy market including new regulation mechanisms for the renewable energy sector have complicated the realisation of the project. Figure 1. Development in ownership of wind farms in Denmark MW installed power each year. (Nielsen, 1999). PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT The proximity of the site to Copenhagen has called for investigations concerning the visual and environmental impacts right from the beginning of the planning process in 1997. In order to initiate such investigations 5.1 million DKK (680,000 EUR) from the Danish Energy Agency was granted. The purpose of the grant was to investigate the technical and environmental aspects of offshore wind power, on the specific site near Copenhagen. Furthermore, the grant covered an analysis of the organizational and economic aspects of the cooperatively owned part of the project, since cooperatives by nature do not posses any financial means at the early planning stages. Figure 2. Visualization of the layout of the wind farm east of Copenhagen Harbor (Moeller & Groenborg, 1998) Figure 3. The location of the Middelgrunden wind farm THE OWNERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION In Denmark (particularly in the Copenhagen area) it is necessary to look for alternative sites for wind farms, if the policy goal of concerning future utilization of renewable energy sources in Denmark, is to be fulfilled. The involvement of large-scale cooperatives in this process is essential to legitimate the process and gain public support with a site located this close to a city. THE WINDTURBINE COOPERATIVE In 1996, the Copenhagen Environment and Energy Office (CEEO) took the initiative to propose and organize the project. After mapping the wind potentials in the area of Copenhagen, the CEEO organized a working group consisting primarily of citizens from the area who were interested in wind energy. Different personal and educational backgrounds were represented with a common belief that the project was going to be a success. CEEO was a part of the working group in the beginning and now serves as a consultant for the wind energy co-operative. The wind farm has since been developed and now of the 20 wind turbines, 10 turbines are owned by the Co-operative and 10 turbines is owned by the local utility Copenhagen Energy. The hole project have been developed fifty/fifty by the Co-operative and the Copenhagen Energy. Who Could Buy Shares? In the beginning, only people from the municipal area could buy shares. In 1999, new regulation came into effect and all Danish people could buy shares. The newest development in year 2000 was that all people also outside Denmark could buy it within certain conditions. THE UTILITY Also in 1996 the Copenhagen Energy took the first step to investigate the feasibility of an offshore wind farm at Middelgrunden. The Municipality of Copenhagen owns the Copenhagen Energy. After 2 years of negotiations and overcoming political differences, a contract between the cooperative and utility was established. The department of wind power at the utility SEAS acts as consultant for the Copenhagen Utility, and is heading the project organization for the establishment of the wind farm. It is my evaluation that both parties (Co-perative and Utility) have gained from the arrangement. CE possesses the big organization for questions about technique, contractor work, etc. The wind co-operative has the knowledge from the private wind sector, with enthusiasm and commitment as well as better contacts with the public and the press. The locally based commitment, along with co-operation between the co- operative, the local utilities, and the municipality of Copenhagen, constituted a significant precondition for the development of the project. This co-operation has provided credibility to the project in relation to politicians and the public. THE FINANCING OF THE COOPERATIVE The cooperative's part will consist of 40,500 shares. One share represents a production of 1,000 kWh/year, and is sold for 4,250 DKK (567 EUR). All shares have to be paid up front in order to follow the constitution of the cooperative. By now, more than 8,500 people, primarily in the local area, have joined the cooperative. By October 2000, 100 % of the private shares were sold. The cooperative will be the world´s largest wind turbine cooperative. The project will be the largest wind farm worldwide based on dual ownership and the largest offshore wind farm in the world. THE TIME SCHEDULE The restructuring of the electricity sector and the introduction of a new regulation mechanism governing the wholesale price of renewable energy resulted in a very narrow timetable for the decisions connected to the project. The new regulations meant, that the contracts with the turbine manufacturer and the foundations and grid contractors had to be signed before the end of 1999, to allow optimal grants from the Renewable Energy Scheme. To achieve this was not an easy task, due to the three public hearings the project had to pass, before it could be realized. First, the project had to pass a public hearing in 1997. Because of resistance from authorities and interestgroups, especially regarding the visual impression of the project, the size of the farm had to be downgraded from the originally proposed 27 turbines, to 20. Secondly, this new modified project was exposed to a new mandatory hearing, focusing on the visual impression, which it passed. Thirdly, the project had to pass a public hearing based on the careful environmental impact analyses carried out during the summer of 1999. In accordance with the ESPOO Convention, hearings were held in Denmark as well as in Sweden. After this procedure, an official permission could not be expected before the end of November. The limited time from the final decision to the upstart has asked for large flexibility and cooperation from all partners involved in the project. First public hearing (visual impact) June - September 1997 Second public hearing (visual impact) June - September 1998 Third public hearing (environment) July - October 1999 EU pre-qualification February - August 1999 Public tender turbines, foundations and grid incl. transformer etc. October 1999 Signing of contract December 1999 Casting concrete April - July 2000 Starting work on seabed May - June 2000 Placement of gravity foundations including the first 30 m section of the tower October-November Placement of the sea cables between the turbines November Placement of the upper part of the turbine including rotor November - December Establishment of the erosion protection January - February 2001 Table 1. Timetable for the establishment of Middelgrunden wind farm THE PUBLIC AWARENESS The public attitude towards wind power in Denmark is to some extent self-contradictionary. In general there is a very positive attitude, but there are signs that people are unwilling to accept wind turbines in their own neighborhood. In realizing this project it has therefore been of utmost importance to establish a fruitful dialogue with individuals and NGOs, sharing this attitude. Especially it has been a challenge to convince them that a large-scale exploitation of wind power necessarily implies changes in the landscape. In depth analyses have been undertaken in order to visualize the impact of 20 turbines (Jessien & Larsen, 1999). This has been important due to the controversial site selected for the project. Furthermore, the visualizations have been widely used as comprehensive illustrations to be used in the public hearings, which have been organized throughout the planning period. Several reports and brochures about the visual impact have been published (Moeller & Groenborg & Ramboell, 1997; Moeller & Groenborg, 1998; Jessien & Larsen, 1999; Soerensen et. al., 1999). The original project dating back to 1997 consisted of 27 turbines (each 1.5 MW) placed in three rows. After the public hearing in 1997 the layout of the park was changed to a slightly curved line chosen in accordance with the historically developed Copenhagen defense system around the City.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gravity-Based Foundations in the Offshore Wind Sector
    Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Review Gravity-Based Foundations in the Offshore Wind Sector M. Dolores Esteban *, José-Santos López-Gutiérrez and Vicente Negro Research Group on Marine, Coastal and Port Environment and other Sensitive Areas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, E28040 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] (J.-S.L.-G.); [email protected] (V.N.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 27 December 2018; Accepted: 24 January 2019; Published: 12 March 2019 Abstract: In recent years, the offshore wind industry has seen an important boost that is expected to continue in the coming years. In order for the offshore wind industry to achieve adequate development, it is essential to solve some existing uncertainties, some of which relate to foundations. These foundations are important for this type of project. As foundations represent approximately 35% of the total cost of an offshore wind project, it is essential that they receive special attention. There are different types of foundations that are used in the offshore wind industry. The most common types are steel monopiles, gravity-based structures (GBS), tripods, and jackets. However, there are some other types, such as suction caissons, tripiles, etc. For high water depths, the alternative to the previously mentioned foundations is the use of floating supports. Some offshore wind installations currently in operation have GBS-type foundations (also known as GBF: Gravity-based foundation). Although this typology has not been widely used until now, there is research that has highlighted its advantages over other types of foundation for both small and large water depth sites. There are no doubts over the importance of GBS.
    [Show full text]
  • Validation of the Dynamic Wake Meandering Model with Respect To
    https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2020-126 Preprint. Discussion started: 8 December 2020 c Author(s) 2020. CC BY 4.0 License. Validation of the dynamic wake meandering model with respect to loads and power production Inga Reinwardt1, Levin Schilling1, Dirk Steudel2, Nikolay Dimitrov3, Peter Dalhoff1, and Michael Breuer4 1Dep. Mechanical Engineering & Production, HAW Hamburg, Berliner Tor 21, D-20099 Hamburg, Germany 2Dep. Turbine Load Calculation, Nordex Energy GmbH, Langenhorner Chaussee 600, D-22419 Hamburg, Germany 3Dep. of Wind Energy, DTU, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark 4Dep. of Fluid Mechanics, Helmut-Schmidt University Hamburg, Holstenhofweg 85, D-22043 Hamburg, Germany Correspondence: Inga Reinwardt ([email protected]) Abstract. The outlined analysis validates the dynamic wake meandering (DWM) model based on loads and power production measured at an onshore wind farm with small turbine distances. Special focus is given to the performance of a version of the DWM model that was previously recalibrated at the site. The recalibration is based on measurements from a turbine nacelle- mounted lidar. The different versions of the DWM model are compared to the commonly used Frandsen turbulence model. 5 The results of the recalibrated wake model agree very well with the measurements, whereas the Frandsen model overestimates the loads drastically for short turbine distances. Furthermore, lidar measurements of the wind speed deficit as well as the wake meandering are incorporated in the DWM model definition in order to decrease the uncertainties. 1 Introduction Wake models are a key aspect in every site-specific load calculation procedure. The used wake model has significant impact on 10 predicted loads and the power output of the whole wind farm, hence, an accurate wake model is of major importance for a wind farm design optimization process.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Offshore Wind Power Economic Impact Assessment
    U.S. Offshore Wind Power Economic Impact Assessment Issue Date | March 2020 Prepared By American Wind Energy Association Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Current Status of U.S. Offshore Wind .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Lessons from Land-based Wind ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Announced Investments in Domestic Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................ 5 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Input Assumptions ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Modeling Tool ........................................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Middelgrunden Offshore Wind Farm
    The Middelgrunden Offshore Wind Farm A Popular Initiative 1 Middelgrunden Offshore Wind Farm Number of turbines............. 20 x 2 MW Installed Power.................... 40 MW Hub height......................... 64 metres Rotor diameter................... 76 metres Total height........................ 102 metres Foundation depth................ 4 to 8 metres Foundation weight (dry)........ 1,800 tonnes Wind speed at 50-m height... 7.2 m/s Expected production............ 100 GWh/y Production 2002................. 100 GWh (wind 97% of normal) Park efficiency.................... 93% Construction year................ 2000 Investment......................... 48 mill. EUR Kastrup Airport The Middelgrunden Wind Farm is situated a few kilometres away from the centre of Copenhagen. The offshore turbines are connected by cable to the transformer at the Amager power plant 3.5 km away. Kongedybet Hollænderdybet Middelgrunden Saltholm Flak 2 From Idea to Reality The idea of the Middelgrunden wind project was born in a group of visionary people in Copenhagen already in 1993. However it took seven years and a lot of work before the first cooperatively owned offshore wind farm became a reality. Today the 40 MW wind farm with twenty modern 2 MW wind turbines developed by the Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative and Copenhagen Energy Wind is producing electricity for more than 40,000 households in Copenhagen. In 1996 the local association Copenhagen Environment and Energy Office took the initiative of forming a working group for placing turbines on the Middelgrunden shoal and a proposal with 27 turbines was presented to the public. At that time the Danish Energy Authority had mapped the Middelgrunden shoal as a potential site for wind development, but it was not given high priority by the civil servants and the power utility.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Era for Wind Power in the United States
    Chapter 3 Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States 1 Photo from iStock 7943575 1 This page is intentionally left blank 3 Impacts of the Wind Vision Summary Chapter 3 of the Wind Vision identifies and quantifies an array of impacts associated with continued deployment of wind energy. This 3 | Summary Chapter chapter provides a detailed accounting of the methods applied and results from this work. Costs, benefits, and other impacts are assessed for a future scenario that is consistent with economic modeling outcomes detailed in Chapter 1 of the Wind Vision, as well as exist- ing industry construction and manufacturing capacity, and past research. Impacts reported here are intended to facilitate informed discus- sions of the broad-based value of wind energy as part of the nation’s electricity future. The primary tool used to evaluate impacts is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model. ReEDS is a capacity expan- sion model that simulates the construction and operation of generation and transmission capacity to meet electricity demand. In addition to the ReEDS model, other methods are applied to analyze and quantify additional impacts. Modeling analysis is focused on the Wind Vision Study Scenario (referred to as the Study Scenario) and the Baseline Scenario. The Study Scenario is defined as wind penetration, as a share of annual end-use electricity demand, of 10% by 2020, 20% by 2030, and 35% by 2050. In contrast, the Baseline Scenario holds the installed capacity of wind constant at levels observed through year-end 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Interim Financial Report, Second Quarter 2021
    Company announcement No. 16/2021 Interim Financial Report Second Quarter 2021 Vestas Wind Systems A/S Hedeager 42,8200 Aarhus N, Denmark Company Reg. No.: 10403782 Wind. It means the world to us.TM Contents Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Financial and operational key figures ......................................................................................... 4 Sustainability key figures ............................................................................................................. 5 Group financial performance ....................................................................................................... 6 Power Solutions ............................................................................................................................ 9 Service ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................... 13 Strategy and financial and capital structure targets ................................................................ 14 Outlook 2021 ................................................................................................................................ 17 Consolidated financial statements 1 January - 30 June .........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Offshore Wind Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Energy U.S
    Offshore Wind Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Offshore Wind Sets Sail Coastal and Great Lakes states account for nearly 80% of U.S. electricity demand, and the winds off the shores of these coastal load centers have a technical resource potential twice as large as the nation’s current electricity use. With the costs of offshore wind energy falling globally and the first U.S. offshore wind farm operational off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island since 2016, offshore wind has the potential to contribute significantly to a clean, affordable, and secure national energy mix. To support the development of a world-class offshore The Block Island Wind Farm, the first U.S. offshore wind farm, wind industry, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) represents the launch of an industry that has the potential to has been supporting a broad portfolio of offshore contribute contribute significantly to a clean, affordable, and secure energy mix. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL 40389 wind research, development, and demonstration projects since 2011 and released a new National Offshore Wind Strategy jointly with the U.S. offshore wind R&D consortium. Composed of representatives Department of the Interior (DOI) in 2016. from industry, academia, government, and other stakeholders, the consortium’s goal is to advance offshore wind plant Research, Development, and technologies, develop innovative methods for wind resource and site characterization, and develop advanced technology solutions Demonstration Projects solutions to address U.S.-specific installation, operation, DOE has allocated over $250 million to offshore wind research maintenance, and supply chain needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Floating Offshore Wind Vision Statement June 2017
    Floating Offshore Wind Vision Statement June 2017 Floating Offshore Wind Vision Statement June 2017 windeurope.org KEY MESSAGES 1. FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND 4. FLOATING MEANS MORE IS COMING OF AGE OFFSHORE WIND Floating offshore wind is no longer confined to R&D. It has An increase in offshore wind installations is needed in now reached a high ‘technology readiness level.’ It is also order to meet renewable electricity generation targets set using the latest technology available in the rest of the by the European Commission. Improving conditions for offshore wind supply chain. floating offshore wind will enhance the deployment of overall offshore wind capacity and subsequently support the EU in reaching the 2030 targets. 2. COSTS WILL FALL Floating offshore wind has a very positive cost-reduction 5. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP outlook. Prices will decrease as rapidly as they have in NEEDS EARLY ACTION onshore and bottom-fixed offshore wind, and potentially at an even greater speed. If Europe is to keep its global technological leadership in offshore wind, it needs to move fast to deploy floating offshore wind and exploit its enormous potential. 3. WE ARE A UNITED INDUSTRY Europe has long been the global leader in offshore wind. Floating offshore wind will take advantage of cost reduction techniques developed in bottom-fixed offshore wind thanks to the significant area of overlap between these two marine renewable energy solutions. 4 Floating Offshore Wind Vision Statement - June 2017 WindEurope 1. INTRODUCTION Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) holds the key to an phase (>8) in which the technology is deemed appropriate inexhaustible resource potential in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure, Equipment and Systems for Offshore Wind Farms on the OCS
    Structure, Equipment and Systems for Offshore Wind Farms on the OCS Part 2 of 2 Parts - Commentary pal Author, Houston, Texas Houston, Texas pal Author, Project No. 633, Contract M09PC00015 Prepared for: Minerals Management Service Department of the Interior Dr. Malcolm Sharples, Princi This draft report has not been reviewed by the Minerals Management Service, nor has it been approved for publication. Approval, when given, does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Service, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Offshore : Risk & Technology Consulting Inc. December 2009 MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE CONTRACT Structure, Equipment and Systems for Offshore Wind on the OCS - Commentary 2 MMS Order No. M09PC00015 Structure, Equipment and Systems: Commentary Front Page Acknowledgement– Kuhn M. (2001), Dynamics and design optimisation of OWECS, Institute for Wind Energy, Delft Univ. of Technology TABLE OF CONTENTS Authors’ Note, Disclaimer and Invitation:.......................................................................... 5 1.0 OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................... 6 MMS and Alternative Energy Regulation .................................................................... 10 1.1 Existing Standards and Guidance Overview..................................................... 13 1.2 Country Requirements. ....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe? January 2016
    Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe? January 2016 Wind energy power generation is on the rise around the world, due to its low fixed prices and lack of greenhouse gas emissions. A cumulative total of 369,553 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity was installed globally by the end of 2014.1 Of that total, only two percent came from offshore wind farms, which are able to capture stronger and more reliable ocean winds to generate electricity.2 Most offshore wind capacity is in Europe, where there are 3,072 grid-connected offshore wind turbines at 82 farms spanning 11 countries, for a total of 10,393.6 MW of wind energy capacity as of June 30, 2015.3 China, the leader in offshore wind in Asia, had 718.9 MW of installed capacity; Japan, 52 MW; and South Korea, 5 MW as of October 2015.4, 5, 6 In comparison, the United States is just beginning to invest in offshore wind energy, and is rapidly approaching the operational launch of its first commercial offshore wind farm. There is incredible potential for offshore wind development in the United States – the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has estimated the United States has over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind potential, enough to power the country four times over.7 Installed Capacity European Union Offshore Wind Installed Capacity Offshore Wind (as of first quarter 2015) (as of first quarter 2015) Netherlands, 361 MW, 3% Sweden, 212 MW, 2% 10,393.60 Other, 60 MW, 1% Belgium, 712 MW, 7% United Kingdom, Germany, 5,017.00 2,760 MW, MW, 48% 27% 0.02 776 UNITED STATES E U R O P E A N CHINA, JAPAN, Denmark, 1,271 MW, 12% UNION SOUTH KOREA Figure 1: Megawatts of offshore wind in the world8 Figure 2: E.U.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Offshore Wind Manufacturing and Supply Chain Development
    U.S. Offshore Wind Manufacturing and Supply Chain Development Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy Navigant Consulting, Inc. 77 Bedford Street Suite 400 Burlington, MA 01803-5154 781.270.8314 www.navigant.com February 22, 2013 U.S. Offshore Wind Manufacturing and Supply Chain Development Document Number DE-EE0005364 Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy Michael Hahn Cash Fitzpatrick Gary Norton Prepared by: Navigant Consulting, Inc. Bruce Hamilton, Principal Investigator Lindsay Battenberg Mark Bielecki Charlie Bloch Terese Decker Lisa Frantzis Aris Karcanias Birger Madsen Jay Paidipati Andy Wickless Feng Zhao Navigant Consortium member organizations Key Contributors American Wind Energy Association Jeff Anthony and Chris Long Great Lakes Wind Collaborative John Hummer and Victoria Pebbles Green Giraffe Energy Bankers Marie DeGraaf, Jérôme Guillet, and Niels Jongste National Renewable Energy Laboratory David Keyser and Eric Lantz Ocean & Coastal Consultants (a COWI company) Brent D. Cooper, P.E., Joe Marrone, P.E., and Stanley M. White, P.E., D.PE, D.CE Tetra Tech EC, Inc. Michael D. Ernst, Esq. Notice and Disclaimer This report was prepared by Navigant Consulting, Inc. for the use of the U.S. Department of Energy – who supported this effort under Award Number DE-EE0005364. The work presented in this report represents our best efforts and judgments based on the information available at the time this report was prepared. Navigant Consulting, Inc. is not responsible for the reader’s use of, or reliance upon, the report, nor any decisions based on the report. NAVIGANT CONSULTING, INC. MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. Readers of the report are advised that they assume all liabilities incurred by them, or third parties, as a result of their reliance on the report, or the data, information, findings and opinions contained in the report.
    [Show full text]
  • Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment Across the Territory of Oman: a Spatial-Temporal Data Analysis
    sustainability Article Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment across the Territory of Oman: A Spatial-Temporal Data Analysis Amer Al-Hinai 1,2,* , Yassine Charabi 3 and Seyed H. Aghay Kaboli 1,3 1 Sustainable Energy Research Center, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat, Oman; [email protected] 2 Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat, Oman 3 Center for Environmental Studies and Research, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat, Oman; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Despite the long shoreline of Oman, the wind energy industry is still confined to onshore due to the lack of knowledge about offshore wind potential. A spatial-temporal wind data analysis is performed in this research to find the locations in Oman’s territorial seas with the highest potential for offshore wind energy. Thus, wind data are statistically analyzed for assessing wind characteristics. Statistical analysis of wind data include the wind power density, and Weibull scale and shape factors. In addition, there is an estimation of the possible energy production and capacity factor by three commercial offshore wind turbines suitable for 80 up to a 110 m hub height. The findings show that offshore wind turbines can produce at least 1.34 times more energy than land-based and nearshore wind turbines. Additionally, offshore wind turbines generate more power in the Omani peak electricity demand during the summer. Thus, offshore wind turbines have great advantages over land-based wind turbines in Oman. Overall, this work provides guidance on the deployment Citation: Al-Hinai, A.; Charabi, Y.; and production of offshore wind energy in Oman.
    [Show full text]